Navajo Mountain Archaeology and Culture Trekking

Join guest archaeologist Sally Cole, CFI and Navajo guides

Navajo Mountain culture and archaeology: Rare Opportunity to Explore and learn about Prehistoric and Contemporary Native cultures with Sally Cole

Join noted archaeologist Sally Cole with CFI and a Navajo hiking from the Atene family on this very special trip at Navajo Mountain. Our hiking takes place between Navajo Mountain and the San Juan River, an area seldom explored except by the families that live there. Finding from early archaeological surveys from the 1930’s and 1960’s will be featured, with sites ranging from some of the oldest Archaic known in the region up through Ancestral Puebloan and modern day Paiute and Dine (Navajo. ) Navajo Mountain sits on the Arizona and Utah border and rises to a height over 10,000 feet. Navajo Mountain is considered sacred by many; the Navajo call this place Naatsis’aan, which means “Head of the Earth Woman.”

Our trip meets the first evening at Recapture Lodge in Bluff, Utah for orientation. We travel the next day to Navajo Mountain, highlighting geography, geology, and historical features along the way, including a short hike late afternoon to a major ruin site. We will spend the first night at the guest hogan of Rose Atene, traditional Navajo basket maker. The next few days we hike in the area south of Navajo Mountain with day packs only. We will see prehistoric sites dating from Archaic to Pueblo III Ancestral Puebloan in age as well as old picturesque hogans, springs, plants, and grazing areas still used by the Dinè today. We will get up on the mountain for one of the most fantastic views on the Colorado Plateau and explore the maze-like wonderland that lies between the Mountain and the San Juan River. This is a rare opportunity to hike where few “Anglos” do.

This trip’s itinerary remains somewhat exploratory in nature, varying with time of year and interests. From Rose’s hogan, a truck takes our personal duffel and all we need for a comfortable two night’s base camp in the canyons. We spend two nights in this spectacular location and have options for half day hikes to cultural sites the next day. The first day’s hike is about six miles steadily downhill with shorter optional hikes out from base camp. The hiking difficulty level is “moderate” both on sandy trails, old roads and cross country. The next few days there are optional half day hikes to different cultural sites. The last morning we hike about two miles out and visit another archaeological site then meet the CFI van after lunch. We return to Bluff by 5 p.m. the last day.

“I had long wanted to explore the Navajo Mountain area. This trip turned out to be the perfect way to do it I was again in touch with the Colorado Plateau but experienced a new part of it…Highlights of the program? Being with members of a local Navajo family made the land come alive in a way that would be impossible without their personal knowledge and perspective. The place and the people are woven together… And the congeniality of the group. I enjoyed this group, both guests and staff. ”

Our guest faculty, Sally Cole:

Sally J. Cole has a M.A. in anthropology (archaeology emphasis) and is a consulting archaeologist working on the Colorado Plateau. She is author of three books including Katsina Iconography in Homol’ovi Rock Art and two editions of Legacy on Stone: Rock Art of the Colorado Plateau and Four Corners Region and numerous professional reports, articles, and papers. Over the past 25 years, she conducted multiyear research in remote archaeological areas of southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado.

CFI C0-Founder and Executive Director, Karla VanderZanden, has explored and led CFI trips in the Navajo Mountain/Rainbow Bridge area since
1988.

Where: Navajo Mountain, Arizona/Utah Border

Number of Days/Nights: 5 nights, 5 days with 1st night lodge stay and orientation, hogan and camping 4 nights with truck support